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Office Policies for Patients and Parents
Treatment Time Estimates
At your treatment conference, the orthodontist will present an estimate of active treatment time as part of the
discussion. This is always just an estimate. There are several factors which prevent this from being an exact period
of time, some of which include a patient’s:
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physiological response
rate of growth
compliance/cooperation (elastic bands,
headgear, etc.)
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frequency of breakage
regularity of adjustment appointments(calendar
time vs treatment time)
The majority of these factors are not in our control, but obviously good compliance/cooperation with regularity in
keeping appointments gives one the best opportunity to have their treatment completed within the time frame
originally estimated. It is important to understand that attempts to advance treatment at a faster pace than is
physiologically prudent can cause irreversible damage to the teeth and supporting structure.
Scheduling Policy
As an orthodontic practice, although many adults are treated, the vast majority of our patients are school age
adolescents. We are well aware of the importance of our patient’s education. In an attempt to minimize appointments
needed during school hours, our longer procedures are scheduled between 9:00am-2:00pm. This amounts to
approximately 3 out of 25 appointments needed during treatment. These include:
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placement of complete new braces or appliances
complete removal of braces
major repairs and construction appointments
An excuse form may be obtained at the front desk upon scheduling these appointments and presented to the school
prior to the planned absence. The remaining adjustment appointments can be done without interfering with the school
schedule of our patients, this includes evening hours one day each week on alternating Mondays and Tuesdays.
Although many patients choose to participate in organized sports and extra-curricular activities, we obviously have to
give priority to academics. Every attempt will be made to accommodate our patients’ personal schedules, however, we
ask that requests be reasonable. We cannot complete the entirety of our procedures in the one or two hours after
school dismissal and before sports events.
We are committed to delivering the best orthodontic care possible, and appreciate your long term commitment to the
importance of treatment by making this a high priority in your schedule.
Emergency Policy
It is important to understand and recognize a true orthodontic emergency while in treatment. Included in your case
conference folder is a quick reference guide for patients with braces titled Handling Orthodontic Emergencies.
Please keep this handy during your active treatment, as this will assist you in troubleshooting issues at home until an
appointment can be made in our office.
After hours emergencies where the doctor needs to be reached include:
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injury or trauma (accidental or sports related)
broken appliance that prevents your mouth from opening and closing
pain from an appliance even after applying wax or taking over the counter pain relievers
We reserve the right to charge for orthodontic emergencies which arise outside of regular office hours. In addition, we
reserve the right to charge for abuse or neglect of appliances which results in excessive breakage, especially when such
breakage requires repair outside of regular office hours.
If you or your child has an orthodontic emergency, the doctor can be reached through the after- hours service number
provided on the office voice mail.
Change of Treatment Plan
If a significant change in treatment plan is required from the one originally discussed at your or your child’s treatment
conference as a result of noncompliance (lack of cooperation) on the part of the patient, we reserve the right to add the
cost of additional appliances, treatment time, or lab fees directly associated with this change to your original contract.
Please acknowledge that you have read, understand, and accept the provisions of the policy stated above
by signing below.
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Signature
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Patient Name (printed)
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Date